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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the period for which an applicant for admission as an |
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undergraduate student to a public institution of higher education |
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is entitled to an academic fresh start. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.931, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) In considering an applicant for admission under this |
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section, a public institution of higher education may choose to |
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disregard academic course credits or grades earned by the applicant |
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more recently than 10 years before the starting date of the semester |
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in which the applicant seeks to enroll, except the institution may |
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not disregard any credits or grades earned during the five-year |
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period preceding that date. An institution that chooses to |
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disregard course credits or grades earned during the additional |
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period permitted by this subsection must disregard all course |
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credits or grades earned during that period and may not award any |
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credit for those courses. |
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(c-2) Each public institution of higher education shall |
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adopt, post on the institution's Internet website, and submit to |
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the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board a policy regarding |
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the admissions made by the institution under this section, |
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including the period for which an applicant's course credits or |
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grades will be considered by the institution under the policy. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.0595(c), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) For a student enrolled in a baccalaureate program under |
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Section 51.931, semester credit hours that were earned by the |
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student [10 or more years] before the date the student began |
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[begins] the new degree program under Section 51.931 and that were |
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disregarded under institution policy as described by that section |
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are not counted for purposes of determining whether the student has |
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previously earned the number of semester credit hours specified by |
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Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 3. Section 51.931, Education Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies beginning with admissions to a public institution |
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of higher education for the 2023 fall semester. |
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SECTION 4. Section 61.0595(c), Education Code, as amended |
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by this Act, applies beginning with funding recommendations made |
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under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the state fiscal biennium |
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beginning September 1, 2025, for semester credit hours earned by |
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students enrolling in a baccalaureate degree program at a public |
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institution of higher education under Section 51.931, Education |
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Code, as amended by this Act, for the 2023 fall semester or a |
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subsequent semester or term. Funding recommendations for semester |
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credit hours earned by a student who enrolled in a baccalaureate |
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degree program at a public institution of higher education under |
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Section 51.931, Education Code, as amended by this Act, before the |
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2023 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately |
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before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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legislative session. |